1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paint solvent to be used at the time of application of a paint or during the manufacture of a paint, and more particularly to a solvent suitable for epoxy type paints.
2. Related Art Statement
Heretofore, various paints such as oil paints, lacquers, and coal tar based paints, more often than not, incorporated volatile solvents as thinners. As solvents for epoxy paints, toluene, lacquer-thinner, etc. have been used.
These volatile organic solvents generally have low flash points and their use incurs dangers with regard to combustion and explosion. They also have the potential of causing workers who inhale their vapors to suffer from intoxication. Toluene and lacquer-thinner, in particular, are harmful to humans. The intoxication caused by the inhalation of such vapors has been a serious problem for persons who engage in the work of painting. Further, conventional solvents are usable only in low concentrations of about 20% at most, in oil paints and epoxy paints, because higher concentrations lower the viscosity of such paints and seriously impair the coating property thereof. Such circumstances encourage such paints to be used in unduly large amounts, rendering the work of painting uneconomical.